Our test this week is a spectacular car, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, in which under the base of another large SUV hides a radical sports car with an engine developed by Ferrari that yields 510 horsepower. A real machine.
Alfa Romeo, which was his response to the trend of SUV-style vehicles, taller and also more versatile in daily use. A model that in its entire range stands out for its good level of performance. It includes powerful diesel and gasoline variants to become another option in the premium SUV market.
But in addition to these versions, good and comparable with other rivals in the premium segment, you have an option that is genuinely Alfa Romeo, the Quadrifoglio.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a very special SUV, sporty, with very striking lines and personality, both outside and inside. But this Quadrifoglio version is the quintessence of the modern sports car from this new perspective of the SUV. Its black wheels, the different touches to its bodywork, its very low bodywork or its wide track width make it very clear that it is much more than another SUV.
To enjoy
Although without a doubt the best thing comes when you start your engine. You don’t even have to get going to start enjoying yourself, because the sound it emits when starting makes it very clear that it’s a pure Alfa Romeo. As it is also very special when you sit behind the wheel, check your touch and precision. Or those very large cams, in aluminum, that allow you to control the change with great precision. Another very sporty and exclusive detail is the engine start button, also on the steering wheel.
A magnificent driving position puts everything within reach of the driver to enjoy behind the wheel.
And it is that in this Quadrifoglio everything is designed to enjoy driving at the highest level. The driving position is also quite low, despite the fact that it is a large and tall vehicle, but everything has been adjusted so that the driver has the situation perfectly controlled at all times and with the best possible visibility.
Alfa Romeo sells few units of this Quadrifoglio, it is a very radical variant, without a doubt. But it is the best image of a brand that is committed to a relaunch, necessary for many years. But now with the integration of the brand in the Stellantis Group and , a smaller SUV than the Stelvio, it seems well on the way.
more radical
The Stelvio Quadriofoglio is the brand’s most radical variant. It uses an impressive 510-horsepower turbocharged V6 engine that has been developed by the Ferrari brand, although its production corresponds to Alfa Romeo. It is a brilliant engine in everything, except its consumption, but the customers of this model are not going to look at that figure much either.
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a great sports car… but with five spacious seats.
The reality is that this V6 Turbo pushes very hard throughout its revs, but it offers maximum torque after 2,500 revs and continues unstoppable until the cutoff revs, around 7,000 revs. And combined with this engine we find an eight-speed automatic transmission that allows you to squeeze the most out of this impressive engine.
Suspensions specifically developed for this model, powerful Brembo brakes and the most exclusive interior details complete the sports car panorama. With this we have a vehicle whose records are like those of a good sports car, a Porsche or even a Ferrari in use on the circuit. Its maximum speed is 283 km/h, while if we talk about acceleration capacity, it is not far behind either: it goes from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds.
rivals
This version of the Stelvio is only an image of the model and brand, because due to its price, very few units will be sold. It costs €120,000, but Alfa Romeo has managed to make a car faster than a Porsche Macan or a Mercedes GLC AMG and be the fastest in its segment at the Nurburgring.
The seats perfectly support the body of its front occupants, no matter how fast we go
It is actually a vehicle designed to enjoy driving to the fullest. His driving position already makes it very clear. A steering wheel of the right size in which we find the engine start button in red. A good sign. On the sides we find the key to this model, its shift paddles. They are very large, one on each side, and fixed to the steering column, that is, they do not move with the steering wheel. They are perfect cams, very similar to those used by the latest Ferrari models, so as not to make mistakes. The truth is that everything in this car, except its size and height, directly reminds that of a Ferrari.
Already launched, without a doubt one of the keys is its sound, truly spectacular. The other aspect that attracts attention is its direction. It is very fast and accurate. As with its paddles, the steering is also perfect for transmitting to the driver all the sensations of what is happening on the road and for sending that feeling of absolute control of the situation.
special DNA
From there, thanks to the driving mode selector, we will be able to play with a car that is absolutely delicious wherever we drive. The result is the same whether you are driving on a curvy road or on a good motorway, you are in complete control of the situation.
The green Quadrifglio anagram has always been the symbol of the sportiest versions of Alfa Romeo.
With this car there is only one problem, speed cameras. Driving a vehicle like this at 120 km/h, or 90 on a straight road, is a true ordeal. In these circumstances, a simple mistake with the accelerator will make us “go through the box”.
But let’s talk about the driving mode selector, what Alfa Romeo calls DNA, and which in this case is a little different from the rest of the Italian brand’s models. This Quadrifoglio version uses the same selector as its siblings, with the usual three Dynamic positions, the most sporty, Normal, and a third when bad weather, rain or snow arrives. Well, to these three usual positions, in the Quadrifoglio a fourth is added, RACE.
This is the mode to use when we want to ride even faster, closer to the limits, on a track. Logically, in this mode we no longer have the same driving aids. That allows you to enjoy driving more, roll even faster, be able to cross the car. But with the tradeoff that you have to know how to drive very well, drive a lot behind the wheel or else we won’t be able to control the 510 horsepower of this machine, and its inertia will lead us to some trouble. In any case, with this car we will always have important help such as the independent torque distribution system for each wheel.
4×4 drive
There is another key factor, the one that plays the most in favor of this incredible behavior in tacky areas: the active torque distribution management system between the wheels. It is in charge of braking a wheel at the entrance of the curve, giving more or less torque at each moment to each of the four wheels so that the car comes out of the curve with force in the best position or that it remains more stationary in it. , depending on the type of curve. System management is very good.
Conclusion
After driving more than 500 km on the road and being able to do a few laps on a circuit (it’s the only way to bring a “device” like this closer to the limit) I can assure you that this car is incredible. Especially if you analyze that it is a large and heavy vehicle, although it is also the lightest in its segment. Alfa Romeo has returned and has done it through the front door. with this same finish and the same Ferrari engine.
The large paddles on both sides of the steering wheel or its start button show that it is the most radical version.
But beyond this Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the brand has begun a new phase that seeks notable growth in sales and thereby make the brand truly sustainable. For this, it has launched the Tonale, a smaller and more rational SUV than this impressive Stelvio. The Tonale is an SUV with more accessible and rational mechanics, but it does not renounce this sporty touch that the legendary brand gives to all its models. Perhaps now Alfa Romeo will become a viable brand with a future in the hands of the Stellantis group. At least I hope so.
Data sheet
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Gasoline engine: 6 cylinders in V
Maximum power: 510 HP
Displacement: 2,891cc
Gasoline fuel
Top speed: 283km/h
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h, 3.8 seconds
Gearbox: 8-speed automatic
Front-wheel drive
WLTP approved consumption in combined cycle 11.8 liters.
Dimensions (length/width/height), 4.70 x 1.95 x 1.69 meters
Trunk capacity: 525 liters.
Empty weight: 1,925 kg.
Price: €120,000.
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